You know the feeling when you are stuck in the traffic for hours, just staying on the lane and waiting to move... I love economics, and I read books which relate everyday events to economics, so I figured I can give it a shot... The lanes on road remind me of industry competition economics...
Assume there are 2 firms A and B operating in the economy... If there is price competition and firm A reduces price by a fraction in order to gain market share, it will get more customers and firm A's profits will increase.. firm B will then reduce its price to firm A's level and the lower price advantage enjoyed by A is lost... Both firms wont enjoy the incremental profits... They will keep undercutting price till it sells at cost and no profits....
Think about lanes in a freeway... You are on lane 2, you think lane 1 is faster, so do others... You all end up on lane 1... And suddenly the advantage disappears, lane 2 seems faster... For most of the ride, you keep moving between lanes without any real advantage!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Double Life
I have been thinking a lot about my life lately... Usually when I write, its a rant on a bad day... That's why throughout this blog I have been trying to think of happy and cheery things too! But this post might be closer to the dark side!
One thing that has hit me is the adjustment women make when they shift overseas for their spouse.... Its a huge transition to move to a new country, give up their support system, and due to visa requirements not be able to work... One irony that stood out was " You get married because you don't want to be alone, but you move overseas and you lose your support system, you end up being more alone". I spoke to people who are in the same place that I am, and I have realised that most of them seem to go through the same anxieties... From being social, independent, and fulfilled people, they are thrown in an alien country without their friends, and finding it hard to fill their days... I find that over the weekend I spend a lot of time with my husband, and it makes me very happy, almost blissful! But then the week arrives, and you spend your day applying, hoping, and wondering that you will be on your own, and feel more fulfilled... And without your friends to confide in, it becomes too much to take... All you can do is rant to your spouse! It might be a sacrifice for nurturing a relationship, but with no end in sight, you worry that you maybe in over your head!
One thing that has hit me is the adjustment women make when they shift overseas for their spouse.... Its a huge transition to move to a new country, give up their support system, and due to visa requirements not be able to work... One irony that stood out was " You get married because you don't want to be alone, but you move overseas and you lose your support system, you end up being more alone". I spoke to people who are in the same place that I am, and I have realised that most of them seem to go through the same anxieties... From being social, independent, and fulfilled people, they are thrown in an alien country without their friends, and finding it hard to fill their days... I find that over the weekend I spend a lot of time with my husband, and it makes me very happy, almost blissful! But then the week arrives, and you spend your day applying, hoping, and wondering that you will be on your own, and feel more fulfilled... And without your friends to confide in, it becomes too much to take... All you can do is rant to your spouse! It might be a sacrifice for nurturing a relationship, but with no end in sight, you worry that you maybe in over your head!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Inspirational women
This article in New York Times last week has been on mind:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/06/world/africa/06iht-ffpeace.html
I had to write an article on the same lines, and it was a process that was both enllightening and inspiring. Although its a huge generalisation, I think the way women approach conflict negotiation is more nurturing, angling towards compromise as opposed to conflict. In an explosive setting, it would be a sensible approach to introduce women in the negotiation process. They approach the situation with empathy, recognizing the likely impact of war on women and children. While writing the article, I read up on peace and security initiatives by women, in Sudan, Iraq, and India among others. The Organisation to Women's Freedom in Iraq work towards protecting women, running shelter and providing legal services and safe dwelling for women risking honour killings, kidnapping, and physical abuse.
Its inspiring how a group of women, and their ideas and enthusiasm has transformed to something that makes a far reaching impact.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/06/world/africa/06iht-ffpeace.html
I had to write an article on the same lines, and it was a process that was both enllightening and inspiring. Although its a huge generalisation, I think the way women approach conflict negotiation is more nurturing, angling towards compromise as opposed to conflict. In an explosive setting, it would be a sensible approach to introduce women in the negotiation process. They approach the situation with empathy, recognizing the likely impact of war on women and children. While writing the article, I read up on peace and security initiatives by women, in Sudan, Iraq, and India among others. The Organisation to Women's Freedom in Iraq work towards protecting women, running shelter and providing legal services and safe dwelling for women risking honour killings, kidnapping, and physical abuse.
Its inspiring how a group of women, and their ideas and enthusiasm has transformed to something that makes a far reaching impact.
What makes me happy....
Flowers make everyone happy..... And I am blessed with a partner who recognises that.... It has helped me tide over some of my roughest days....
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Life lessons from Scrabble
I love Scrabble, and I realised there is a lot I can learn from the game. For instance, when you have the 10 point letters- "Z" or "Q", and you have a killer word, something that gives you a ton of points, you wait till you find the right time to play so it maximizes your score. But more often than not, you run out of time to play it, and it is the end of the game so you are stuck holding the letters.
Isn't life a lot like that? You make plans or decide to follow things you care about, but you wait for the right time to implement them. But just like that, time slips away, and you wake up to realise its too late. Life is too short to wait, you have to follow your dreams when you can, and not wait for the right time!
Isn't life a lot like that? You make plans or decide to follow things you care about, but you wait for the right time to implement them. But just like that, time slips away, and you wake up to realise its too late. Life is too short to wait, you have to follow your dreams when you can, and not wait for the right time!
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